Susan Hegger

Politics and education editor

Susan Hegger comes to St. Louis Public Radio and the Beacon as the politics and issues editor, a position she has held at the Beacon since it started in 2008.

Previously, she was at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for 20 years. During that time, she was an editorial writer; the arts and entertainment editor; and finally the assistant managing editor for features overseeing the paper's entertainment, lifestyle and features sections. She also did stints as restaurant food critic and Washington reporter.

Susan started her journalism career at The Riverfront Times, where she eventually became the editor.Susan graduated from Ursuline Academy and Washington University (in anthropology). Her passion is travel, and she is always planning her next adventure. Closer to home, she is also a dedicated runner, who can be found most days on the path in Forest Park.

Ways to Connect

Illinois' very first concealed-carry permits -- about 5,000 of them -- were mailed today, according to the Illinois state police, as reported by the Chicago Tribune.

The Tribune also reported that so far the state has received about 50,000 applications for a concealed-carry permit. It added that about 300 requests have been denied and 800 more are under review because of objections by law enforcement.

We know that you listen to us on air and check our website for news and information about our region. We hope that you look at our website every day, but we know that's not always possible. So, once a week, on Friday, we will highlight some of the website's top stories of the week.

Our town: History...

As part of St. Louis' 250th birthday, we'll be looking at people, places and things throughout the year that are quintessentially St. Louis, or [sɛ̃ lwi].

Politics can be a 24/7 occupation, as anyone with a cell phone, computer or cable subscription knows. It's not hard to find political news, commentary or just plain rants. They are everywhere. Sometimes it takes a little more digging to find the context, perspective or background on major issues of the day.

Back in December, St. Louis Public Radio and the Beacon merged into a new organization. We know that you listen to us on air and check our website for news and information about our region. We hope that you look at our website every day, but we know that's not always possible. So, once a week, on Friday, we will highlight some of the website's top stories of the week.

Politics can be a 24/7 occupation, as anyone with a cell phone, computer or cable subscription knows. It's not hard to find political news, commentary or just plain rants. They are everywhere. Sometimes it takes a little more digging to find the context, perspective or background on major issues of the day.

Much like apple pie and motherhood, everybody wants better schools and higher student achievement. The only problem is that no one can quite agree what's the best way to get there.

Once a week, our team of education reporters would like to share stories that look at trends in education here and across the country. In particular, we want to focus on people, research and even gizmos that may help make kids learn better. This week, we've discovered some high-tech — and low-tech — solutions.

Back in December, St. Louis Public Radio and the Beacon merged into a new organization. We know that you listen to us on air and check our website for news and information about our region. We hope that you look at our website every day, but we know that's not always possible. So, once a week, on Friday, we will highlight some of the website's top stories of the week.

Politics can be a 24/7 occupation, as anyone with a cell phone, computer or cable subscription knows. It's not hard to find political news, commentary or just plain rants. They are everywhere. Sometimes it takes a little more digging to find the context, perspective or background on major issues of the day.

Back in December, St. Louis Public Radio and the Beacon merged into a new organization. We know that you listen to us on air and check our website for news and information about our region, especially for news that you might not get elsewhere. We hope that you look at our website every day, but we know that's not always possible. So, once a week, on Friday, we will highlight some of the website's top stories of the week.

Almost 300 bills were prefiled in the Missouri Senate and Missouri House before the legislative session even opened. Now that the legislative session is underway, some of those bills will fade away, others will move through the legislative process and even more new ones will be introduced.

No wonder it's hard to keep up with what's going on in the legislature.

This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: "The Fifth Estate" begins with Egyptian hieroglyphics and breathlessly careens through the history of the written word -- there's calligraphy! there's the printing press! -- before culminating in the internet, the cyber revolution, Julian Assange and the invention of WikiLeaks.

This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: There I was -- ensconced under a thick blanket, rocking gently to and fro on the deck of a Turkish gulet and drifting off to sleep under a panoply of stars and the bright light of a full moon.

This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: Nathalie Pettus didn't start out to become the largest employer in Clarksville. It just happened as she began to dig deeper and deeper to her roots.

Overlook Farm -- the umbrella for her inns, restaurant, gift shop and farm -- has 40 employees now and will add more in the summer. It takes its name from Pettus' grandfather's farm and apple orchard. (Pettus adds that her family's history in the area actually goes back to the late 1700s when it received a land grant from the Spanish crown.)

This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: Caron Quick is aptly named. An artisan and owner, along with her husband Ralph Quick, of the Windsor Chair Shop on North First Street, Caron is quick to smile, quick to laugh and quick to tell a visitor just how friendly, close-knit and hard-working the artists' community in Clarksville is.

"We're all friends, we help each other," she says. "We're family." Later, in passing, she casually underscored that point, noting that she also manages Dawn of Creation, just down the street.

This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: Louisiana, Mo., is a picturesque river town on the Mississippi about 70 miles north of St. Louis, up Highway 79. Just south of Hannibal and north of Clarksville, Louisiana may lack the cachet of an icon like Mark Twain or a lock and dam that makes for prime eagle watching.

But Louisiana has something of its own -- wall murals, more murals than any other place in the state.

One family, three cars, seven days, 14 people, ranging in age from 2 to 83.

That could have been an unmitigated disaster, but for us, it all added up to an incredible vacation, with fleeting but memorable stops in some of the most breath-taking places in the world. Here's a whirlwind look at a whirlwind tour.

Day One: Flathead Lake, Montana

OK, technically, it was Day Two. (Day One was one long travel day; it's not easy -- or cheap -- to get to Somers, Mont.)

This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: It takes some imagination to see a terraced garden in an empty side lot where all that's left is a stone foundation. Or a historic museum and gallery space in a dilapidated jail. Or a spacious, comfortable home and studios in a battered old house in a rundown neighborhood that has seen sunnier days.

This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: November 18, 2008 - The Fish Fall in Love -In my experience, movies built on the importance of making good food are likely to have some serious soul. Think back to Ang Lee's Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) and Stanley Tucci's Big Night (1996) and Germany's Bella Martha (2001). You can add this movie to that list.

This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: The National Park Service will consider improvements to the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, including a design competition for the area and a better connection between the Memorial and downtown.

The St. Louis riverfront and Arch grounds could be transformed by the Arch's 50th birthday – Oct. 28, 2015 – by a major new cultural attraction.